Week Nine Term Three

The new VP Rowan.

Practising a song for assembly.

Vincent leads professional learning.

Monday Sept 5-9th

This was a very busy week. On Monday morning assembly the student body was introduced to the new school vice principal, Rowan Cooper. He made a short speech asking the kids if they were nervous or anxious on their first day at school and then saying he felt the same way at his new school.

On Tuesday all of Claire and my grade fours went to Crystelle's room to sing with her preps (kindergartens) a song they learned last year when they were in her class when she taught grade three. She wanted them to practise singing together so they could present it to the whole school at the end of term assembly. Both grades loved it and really enjoyed the song.

For professional learning after school, Vincent, one of the french teachers, lead the staff through a teaching program he utilizes. He tries to tie the curriculum into a theme and have the students create characters and play something like a virtual detective game where they have to accumulate points by following clues and answering questions that lead to lessons about various aspects of the grade 6 study. It was obvious how much work he put into developing this program and how much he loved teaching this way. The staff seemed divided on whether they a) understood concept or b) felt is was a viable method of addressing the curriculum and c) whether they thought it would work for them or not.

The next three days were the grade 3 and 4 outdoor education camp at Portsea, which is a small seaside town on the south end of the Mornington Pennisula about 80 kilometres from school. I will give them separate posts.